Manistee County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 25,032. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Manistee. The name "Manistee" is from an

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from ''ministigweyaa'', "river with islands at its mouth". ''See also'',

List of Michigan county name etymologies There are 83 counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The boundaries of these counties have not changed substantially since 1897. However, throughout the 19th century, the state legislature frequently adjusted county boundaries. County creation w ...

and

Kaministiquia River The Kaministiquia River is a river which flows into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. ''Kaministiquia'' (''Gaa-ministigweyaa'') is an Ojibwe word meaning "where a stream flows in island" due to two large islands (McKellar ...

History

The county was set off in 1840 and organized in 1855.

Historical markers

There are thirteen recognized Michigan historical markers in the county: *

Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby (May 11, 1875 – July 1, 1912) was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter. In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot certificate, issued to her by the Aero Club of Am ...

/ Childhood Home *

John J. Makinen Bottle House The John J. Makinen Bottle House (also known as the Kaleva Bottle House, Kaleva Bottle House Museum, and Kaleva Historical Museum) is a house built of bottle wall construction in 1941 by John J. Makinen, Sr. It is located in Kaleva, Michigan nea ...

* First Congregational Church, Manistee *

Great Fire of 1871 The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than ...

* Holy Trinity Episcopal Church * Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory *

Kaleva, Michigan Kaleva ( ) is a village in Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 507 at the 2020 census. Geography *According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. *Kaleva is part of Nort ...

* Manistee City Library * Manistee Fire Hall * Our Saviour's Lutheran Church *

Ramsdell Theatre The Ramsdell Theatre is a historic playhouse theater building and opera house at 101 Maple Street in downtown Manistee, Michigan. The building was financed by local businessman and politician Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell and was built in 1902. I ...

* Trinity Lutheran Church rcadia* William Douglas House

Government

Alongside

Polk County, North Carolina Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,328. Its county seat is Columbus. The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson and Rutherford counties. It was named ...

, Manistee County was the only county in the United States in which

James M. Cox James Middleton Cox (March 31, 1870 July 15, 1957) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio, and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio. As the Democratic nominee for President of the United Sta ...

and

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American statesman, politician and jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the ...

both won, as the chart above shows. The county government operates the

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains

vital records Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates or divorce party and death certificates. In ...

, administers

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

: Jason Haag *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

: Brian Gutowski *

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

: Jill Nowak *

County Treasurer A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

: Rachel Nelson *

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real property, real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with re ...

: Penny Pepera *

Drain Commissioner A drain commissioner is an elected official in county government of the U.S. state of Michigan who is responsible for planning, developing and maintaining surface water drainage systems under Public Act 40 of 1956. In counties with a population unde ...

: Ken Hilliard *

County Surveyor A county surveyor is a public official in the United Kingdom and the United States. United Kingdom Webb & Webb describe the increasing chaos that began to prevail within this same period in field of county surveying in England and Wales, with ...

: Patrick Bentley (information as of February 2012)

Fire departments and emergency medical services

County ambulance service

As of early 2021 North Flight EMS has since transferred the primary ambulance service to Mobile Medical Response.

Fire departments

* Arcadia Township Fire Department * Bear Lake Township Fire Department * City of Manistee Fire Department * Cleon Township Fire Department * Dickson Township Fire Department * East Lake Township Fire Department * Filer Township Fire Department * Manistee Township Fire Department * Maple Grove Township Fire Department * Norman Township Fire Department * Onekama Township Fire Department * Stronach Township Fire Department

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (58%) is water. Manistee County is considered to be part of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popula ...

Adjacent counties

Benzie County Benzie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 17,970. The county seat is Beulah. The county was initially set off in 1863 and organized in 1869.

- north *

Grand Traverse County Grand Traverse County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,238, making it the largest county in Northern Michigan. Its county seat is Traverse City. The county is part of the Trave ...

- northeast * Wexford County - east * Lake County - southeast * Mason County - south *

Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,359. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Manitowoc Count ...

- southwest *

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an arc ...

- west

National protected area

Manistee National Forest The Manistee National Forest is a national forest located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It has a total area of . It was established in 1938, and combined with the Huron National Forest in 1945 for administrative purposes, creating the Hur ...

(part) *

Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a listed wilderness area within the Manistee National Forest. It is located north of Ludington, Michigan, and is best known for its 4 miles (6.4 km) of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline. Geology The lake ...

Transportation

Airport

Manistee County-Blacker Airport Manistee County Blacker Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Manistee, a city in Manistee County, Michigan, United States. It is owned by the Manistee Count ...

is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of Manistee.

Major highways

* runs through Manistee and Bear Lake * begins north of Manistee and goes through Onekama and Arcadia * begins north of Manistee and runs across the

Lower Peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...

to Tawas City * comes from Wexford County * unsigned highway that connects US 31 in Manistee to

Orchard Beach State Park Orchard Beach State Park is a public recreation area covering on the shore of Lake Michigan in Manistee Township, Manistee County, Michigan. Situated on a bluff three miles north of the city of Manistee, the state park offers, camping, hikin ...

Bicycle routes

* comes from Mason County and goes through Manistee, Onekama, and Arcadia to proceed north to

with M-22

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 24,527 people, 9,860 households, and 6,714 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 45 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 14,272 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.16%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.63%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 1.30% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 1.01% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.61% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 23.5% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 16.9%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, 8.8%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

, 8.8% American and 7.1%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry. 96.2% spoke

and 2.3%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

as their first language. There were 9,860 households, out of which 27.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.10% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.60% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 103.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,208, and the median income for a family was $41,664. Males had a median income of $33,211 versus $20,851 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,204. About 6.90% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

* Manistee (county seat)

Villages

* Bear Lake * Copemish *

Eastlake Eastlake may refer to: Places ;Australia * Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, formerly called Eastlake ** Eastlake Football Club, an amateur Australian Rules Football Club named after that location ;United States * Eastlake, Lake County, C ...

* Kaleva * Onekama

Census-designated places

* Arcadia * Brethren * Filer City * Oak Hill * Parkdale * Stronach * Wellston

Other unincorporated communities

* Marilla * Norwalk * Pierport

Townships

* Arcadia Township * Bear Lake Township * Brown Township * Cleon Township * Dickson Township * Filer Charter Township * Manistee Township * Maple Grove Township * Marilla Township * Norman Township * Onekama Township * Pleasanton Township * Springdale Township * Stronach Township

Education

School districts include: *

Bear Lake School District Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the N ...

Benzie County Central School Benzie may refer to: * Percy Benzie Abery (1876–1948), 20th century Welsh photographer * Isa Benzie (1902–1988), British radio broadcaster *Isaac Benzie Isaac Benzie was a department store located in Aberdeen, Scotland. History Isaac Benzie ...

* Kaleva Norman Dickson School District *

Manistee Area Schools Manistee may refer to: Places * Manistee, Michigan * Manistee, Alabama * Manistee County, Michigan ** Manistee County-Blacker Airport * Manistee Township, Michigan * Manistee National Forest, jointly administered as part of the Huron-Manist ...

Mason County Eastern District Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

Mesick Consolidated Schools Mesick ( ) is a village in Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 397 at the 2020 census. The majority of the village is located within Springville Township with a very small portion extending east into Antioch Townsh ...

Onekama Consolidated Schools Onekama is the name of a village and a township in Manistee County, in the U.S. state of Michigan: * Onekama, Michigan * Onekama Township, Michigan Onekama Township is a civil township of Manistee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The populat ...